Akron

Mayor Daniel Horrigan

Daniel Horrigan was sworn in as the 62nd Mayor of Akron on January 1, 2016 and was elected for a second term which began in 2020. Since 1999, he has been a dedicated public servant to Summit County and the City of Akron. His family legacy, deeply rooted in Akron’s North Hill, and his experience as a public servant fuel Mayor’s unwavering commitment to move his hometown forward.

After earning a BA in Economics from Kent State University, Mayor Horrigan earned an education degree from the University of Akron. While obtaining his second degree, Mayor earned a living as a “curb boy” at the iconic Swenson’s restaurant. Recognizing an opportunity to give back to the North Hill community, he campaigned for and won election to Akron City Council’s Ward 1 in 1999, a position he held for nearly 8 years. Being a Councilman allowed him to first understand and harness the "power of listening.” In 2007, he became the Summit County Clerk of Courts, a job that made him responsible for collecting and distributing $120 million public dollars each year.

Now as Akron’s Mayor, he has developed his vision to move the City forward. With a core focus of growing Akron’s population again, he has been laser-focused on key areas of opportunity, including jobs and economic inclusion, improving infrastructure, investing in safety equipment and programming, uplifting neighborhoods and investing in public spaces.

Mayor Horrigan has focused on improving the lives of people in Akron. Some of his key accomplishments include passing the City’s first non-discrimination ordinance, creating an annual Healthy Equity Summit to address maternal and child health, and partnering with the United Way of Summit County to open the City’s first Financial Empowerment Center, aimed at addressing the financial needs of Akron’s working poor population.

To address issues related to jobs, education and vitality, Mayor: Has assisted the City in obtaining millions of dollars in grants for public safety and infrastructure, was successful in helping to address the City’s skills gap by attracting a community college to Akron, reduced the City’s spending on federally mandated sewer projects by $225 million, opened Bounce Innovation Hub, partnered in the creation of a Downtown Vision and Redevelopment Plan, passed a quarter percent income tax increase to boost badly needed infrastructure and public safety funding and, conducted and implemented a city-wide housing plan, including a catalytic tax abatement program to incentivize development.

In his second term, Mayor Horrigan has continued to usher in investment in Akron’s infrastructure, neighborhoods, economy, and people. He has strategically invested $145M in American Rescue Plan Act funds into areas of key need in our community including violence intervention and prevention, housing, small business support, parks and public spaces, and more. The City is on track to complete many of the projects he brought to life in his first term including the complete renovation of Akron’s downtown corridor and upgrades to the city’s parks and public spaces. He also hired the City’s first Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the City’s first Youth and Community Opportunity Director.

As Akron continues to evolve from its roots as an industrial powerhouse, to a highly-creative and innovative center of excellence, Mayor Horrigan believes our greatest asset has remained constant, it’s our people. He believes this resource has fueled us in the past and will again prove to be the catalyst as we continue to move Akron forward together. As he finishes out his last year in office, he plans to go full-steam ahead on the priorities he’s worked on diligently for the past 7 years.